The Taikyu Chronicles 1: A Strange Encounter
by Whatisausername3
Summary: Hayato Taikyu should have known this was too good to be true. A lucrative job with simple parameters: guard the treasure until it reaches its destination. He should have remembered: what job is ever simple for a missing-nin? Now, facing a deadly enemy and a surprising team of genin, Hayato will be pushed to his limits in a fight that will change his life. OC story
1. Chapter 1: Starting Out

**So this is my first fanfic ever. This originated from a character I cooked up and thought about for a while and finally decided to give his own story. I've been trying to write my own stuff for a while and thought this would be a good place to start. Fair warning, it will be a build up so please be patient with me. This is an OC story that tries not to interfere with the main story in the anime. It's kind of like a "side story" though there is plenty of interaction with the main ****characters. But hey, thanks for clicking on this and please enjoy!**

*Knock*Knock*Knock*

"Hello? Sir, are you awake? I know it's early, but this is the time you asked me to wake you. Hello?" More knocking followed the last inquiry.

Hayato opened his eyes. Faint sunlight filtered in through the shades, illuminating the simple yet comfortable hotel room. Empty aside from Hayato's mat and personal belongings, light green and tan panels lined the walls with a brown clock hanging on the far one.

Hayato sat up and rubbed his eyes, forcing himself awake. He focused on the clock and read the time. _5:30. Good, right on time._

The knocking picked up again on the door, startling him slightly. "Hello? Are you awake sir?"

"Yes, yes I am. One moment please." Hayato tossed off his blanket and got to his feet. Grabbing his shirt from the floor, he put it on as he went to the door. He didn't normally ask the staff where he went to do this, but he had gotten in so late the night before that he didn't want to risk oversleeping. He had a fair journey ahead of him and he did not want to miss this new opportunity. It was just too crucial.

He slid the door open to reveal a young hostess who greeted him with a small bow. "Good morning, sir. I hope you slept well last night?"

"I did, thank you." Hayato said. "Thank you for waking me up as well; it's really helpful."

The hostess smiled. "No problem sir. We also have some breakfast prepared for early risers as well."

"Thank you, I'll be down soon."

"Take your time!" she cheerfully and headed down the hall.

Hayato closed the door and went into the bathroom. Ten minutes later, he stepped out of the shower and toweled himself off. He wiped a film of steam off the mirror and studied himself. His black hair was cut close to his scalp, with a clean-shaven face to go with. His brown eyes glinted at him as they inspected his torso. He was well built, with a solid core and thick, rugged arms ending in tough hands that were on his waist. All in all, most would call it a good look…

…Except for the scar.

Hayato lightly fingered the mark. It wasn't that long, running about 2-3 inches across his sternum. It was indented though, indicating a deep, thrusting cut. It seemed slightly warped as well, as though the attacker had twisted the blade around, playing with his victim…

Hayato closed his eyes and took a deep breath. No, it wasn't good for him to think about that time. As Sensei Saicho told him, "Dwelling on the pain of the past will make you numb to the joy of today."

Hayato exited the bathroom and got dressed, pulling on a pair of beige combat pants that clashed with his black short-sleeved shirt. He put on a beige tactical vest that matched his pants and slipped on a pair of forearm bracers with metal strips running along the outside of each forearm. He grabbed a black balaclava and slipped it on. He gathered up his belongings in his pack, put on his sandals, and headed downstairs. Pleasant smells greeted him as he made his way to the eating area of the hotel. It was mostly empty, seeing as it was still early. That was fine by Hayato; he preferred the quiet.

After finding himself a table and eating his breakfast, he reached into his pack and pulled out a letter. He glanced at the seal on the front signifying the Land of Forests and opened it up. He read it through for what felt like the fiftieth time. _I still don't get it_, he thought, _most feudal lords wouldn't hire a missing-nin for a high value escort mission. It would be too risky that the ninja would run off with whatever he's protecting. Either he knows about me personally or is really desperate. Or both._

Hayato folded the letter back up and placed it back in his pack. Well, whatever the case, he needed the job. Work had been tight lately, leaving him to take on small-time muscle work or bodyguarding. Heck, he'd even worked as a bouncer for a club for a while. This job could get him enough money that he could pursue his training and… well his personal endeavor.

Suddenly, a shout shook him from his reflections.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing bitch?!"

Hayato turned in his seat and looked behind him. One of the patrons had stood up from his table wiping his shirt while the hostess who had woken Hayato stood by nervously holding a teapot. Hayato recognized the man as a guest who had gotten plastered the night before. Apparently, he wasn't taking the hangover very well.

"What the hell was that?" he yelled again, gesturing towards a large wet spot down the front of his shirt. "You trying to burn me with that tea?"

"I-I'm sorry sir, but you hit my arm as I was pouring it." she said. "It was an-"

"Excuse me," the man snapped, taking a step towards her, "But are you accusing ME of being the problem here?!"

The hostess became flustered, taking a step back and raising her hands in defense. "S-sir! It was merely an accident! I wasn't trying to-"

"Don't accuse me of being the problem here!" snapped the man, getting into her face. "You need to learn to be more careful! And you should be able to-"

"Hey jackass, leave the girl alone."

The man turned to see Hayato standing behind him. He stepped back, startled at his silent approach, but quickly regained his sneer. "Oh? And what are you going to do about it, tough guy?"

"Well, I was hoping I could get you to calm down without things escalating" Hayato said evenly. "I'm not partial to starting fights."

The man looked Hayato up and down, sizing him up. His eyes flickered over his mask and arm bracers, and he came to a conclusion. "You a ninja, huh? Think you're some big, tough guy coming over here and helping this chick? Well I got news for you, buddy. I ain't scared of you."

Hayato studied the man and considered his options. He really didn't want to start a fight; his insult had been mostly to shock the man and divert his attention away from the hostess. He preferred to end conflicts quickly, before things got violent and out of hand. He wasn't _afraid _to fight mind you, but fights meant two things. One, fights were loud and attracted attention, which was something he didn't like to have a lot. Two, it opened the possibility of getting angry.

And, well, he tried hard to not let his anger get the best of him.

Hayato raised his hands in a placative manner, trying to appear non-threatening. "Well, I don't know if that's entirely wise, but regardless, you don't need to make a big deal out of this. She just made an innocent mistake and apologized profusely for it. I can't see a reason to get worked up."

The man stepped up to him. "Yeah? And who asked your opinion? You need to keep out of other peoples' business. Otherwise, you end up pissing off the wrong people."

_Okaaay, this is not going very well._

Hayato tried once more, "Look you're just overreacting. If you just- "

"Listen ninja, if there's two things I don't like, it's people calling me a liar, and it's people who tell me what to do!" With that, he threw a fist directly at Hayato's face. Before it could land however, one of Hayato's hands stopped it, clenching it tight.

The man gave a look of surprise and tried to pull his fist free, but it wouldn't budge. "Wh-what?" he cried pulling at his arm with his free hand. "Hey! Let go of me!"

Hayato glared at the man, feeling his patience slip. "I'm only going to ask you this one more time. Step. Off. Before things go bad-"

"G-gentlemen please."

Both men turned back to the hostess, who was watching the scene unfold before her with increasing anxiety. She flinched as they both looked at her, but she managed to speak again. "There's no need for this, it was just a simple misunderstanding. Let's just sit back down and enjoy breakfast, please?"

Hayato looked between her and the man and suddenly relaxed. He released the man's fist and bowed to him formally. "She's right. My apologies."

The man took a step back and studied Hayato holding his hand. His gaze flickered over him, put off by the sudden change. "Really?"

Hayato straightened up and forced an amicable tone, "Yes. As the hostess has said, there's no need for any of this. Let's just sit down, resume eating, and forget about it." He threw in a smile with his words which he hoped showed in his eyes (considering the man couldn't see his face).

The man glanced between Hayato and the hostess and sat down with a grumble. "Fine. But I want a new cup of tea."

"Of course, sir!" the hostess burst with relief. "I'll get that to you right away!"

The man grumbled a "you better" and aimed a heavy glare at Hayato. He didn't care, he was just glad the situation had been resolved. He headed back to his seat followed by the hostess. She gave him a bow and said "Thank you sir! I was so scared that he was going to do something and you stepped in even though you didn't need to and you just handled him so confidently and-"

Hayato stopped her with a raise of his hand. "Don't worry about it. You handled that situation really well. And I'm glad you stepped in when you did, that situation was starting to go bad."

The hostess smiled shyly and shifted her feet. "Well, thank you for saying that. But, if I might be honest, you seemed pretty in control. You didn't seem afraid of that guy, and I think you could have taken care of him easily."

Hayato felt his smile slip slightly beneath his mask. "Well, I wasn't concerned about him…"

The hostess looked at him quizzically. "Sir?"

Hayato quickly waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just happy to have been of help."

"Well, ok. Just let me know if you need anything." The hostess left him with a bright smile and a quick bow.

Hayato sat down in his booth and took a deep breath. He glanced around the room, reading the faces of everyone in the room. People seemed to have lost interest, and aside from the occasional glance did not look his way (except for the jack-ass, who was glaring daggers into his head). He rested his arms on the table and leaned on them with a sigh. He hadn't lied to the hostess when he said she had stopped the situation from turning sour. He could have handled the guy, but that wasn't the problem. He couldn't afford to draw too much attention to himself, it was dangerous. He couldn't sit by and let harm come to others, that wasn't him either. Sensei Saicho had taught him better. But still, in his position…

Hayato shook his head and sat up. He couldn't let this get to him now. His situation sucked, but that was life. Well, HIS life anyway, but there was little he could about that.

Hayato finished breakfast and gathered up his belongings. Stepping outside of the inn, he was greeted with the sounds and bustle of the early morning rush. Shopkeepers opening for the day, men rushing to get to work, and wives doing the daily shopping began to fill the street. The scene was alive with people starting their day off. Hayato shifted the pack on his shoulder and cracked his neck. Well, it was time for him to start his day as well. It would take him most of the day to get to the Land of Forests capital. He stepped into the bustling street and started out.

Unfortunately, he only made it about ten yards before...

"Hey! Hold up you asshole!"

Hayato stopped, closing his eyes in frustration. Really? He had to deal with this again? He sighed, steeled himself, and turned around. "Can I help you?"

The hangover guy stumped towards him, wearing a dirty look on his face. He got up to Hayato and shoved his face into his. "I'm not done with you yet," he growled, his hit breath blowing into Hayato's.

Hayato shied slightly from the man but did not break eye contact. "What do you want?"

If the man's eyes could have gotten any narrower, they did. "You made a punk of me in that inn. No one makes a punk of me and gets away with it."

Hayato groaned, already fed up with this guy's crap. "I thought you had calmed down about this already. Why are you reacting this way? All I did was stop you from attacking someone and causing an outburst."

"This ain't about that bitch! You made me look weak!" he roared, his volume rising to match his anger. He jabbed a finger angrily into Hayato's chest. "No one makes me look weak and gets away with it!"

Hayato shoved his hand aside; he didn't have time for this. On top of that, the man's ranting had begun to attract people's attention. Some were watching them as they passed by while a few were stopping to watch them. He needed to end this quick before things started to get out of hand.

Hayato took a deep breath and held up a reassuring hand. "Look pal, you're being unreasonable. There's no need to get into a fight over this. Just walk away."

The man sneered in derision. "What you think you're too much for me just cause you're a ninja? Well I've got news for you, buddy. I've been in my fair share of fights and I've handled plenty of ninja punks like you before. You don't scare me a bit."

"Just back off, will you? I don't want to get into a fight over something stupid as this; I haven't got the time." As he spoke, Hayato's eyes began to dart around, subconsciously scanning the growing crowd of people. It was now larger and getting even more so as the man's rant continued to attract attention. His eyes went from person to person, scanning faces, body posture, looking for anything suspicious… or familiar.

The man gave him another sneer. "What, you got an all-important mission to carry put? Big-ninja business to do? Well I don't care what mission your village sent you on, you'll make some time for me right here, right now."

Hayato grit his teeth, seriously ticked. He needed to leave as soon as possible for his job, the guy was trying to fight for whatever douche-bag reason was on his mind, and he didn't want to be stuck in a crowd. These culminating factors caused him to lose his cool and blurt out something he shouldn't have.

"I'm not on a mission for my village! Get off my case!"

The man gave him a strange look. "Not for your village? But then… that means…"

Hayato froze, then closed his eyes in frustration. _Ah shit, here we go_.

The man's eyes widened with realization and his face split into a smile. "Ahh I see. You're a missing-nin! You're a freakin' rouge!

The people in the crowd had initially been looking at the hungover man with apprehension and fear, but at his words they suddenly shifted those looks to Hayato. Whispers began to float around, people took a couple paces back, and a woman pulled her child close to her. It didn't matter really, Hayato was used to these reactions; it was the normal way people reacted to someone who must have committed some horrific crime to be kicked out of his village.

Hayato glared at the man. "Well, you happy now?"

"Buddy, you have no idea," the man grinned as he reached into a pouch at his side and pulled out a kunai knife. "I can carve you up right here and you know what? People will think I'm a hero!" He laughed at the thought of it. "Me, the hero. Stopping the guy who must be even worse than the 'jackass'. Crazy right?"

Hayato gave the man a look and then slid the pack off his shoulders to the ground. He faced the man squarely and looked him dead in the eyes. "You listen to me and you listen well sir."

The sneer dropped off the man's face and shattered on the ground as a hush fell over the crowd. Hayato's demeanor had changed entirely, going from nervous and fidgety to still but tense, like a bowstring pulled all the way back right before a shot. His hands hung at his sides, fingers curled slightly. He glared at the man as Killing Intent rolled off him, hanging in the air.

Hayato's voice dropped low. "I really don't have time for you, but you've been pissing me off all morning. So, out of courtesy, I'm only going to warn you this one more time: walk away; there is no way you can hurt me with that knife."

The man took a step back with a shocked look on his face. He glanced around at the crowd for a moment, then his shoulders dropped. "Ok" he said apprehensively. "Fine. You win, man."

The crowd collectively relaxed as the man turned away from Hayato, but Hayato did not relax. He'd grown too well at reading people over years, and something was off…

The man walked towards the edge of the ring the crowd had made as he gave his parting words. "You're right; you probably have no time for me."

And then he stopped.

"So that's why I'll make this quick."

With that, he spun, and the kunai buzzed through the air at Hayato's head. The crowd gasped as it flew and went dead silent. The man had a big grin on his face, which slowly melted into a face of shock.

Hayato glanced down at the kunai he had caught between his index and middle fingers and twirled it in his hand. "It was a nice shot," he said, walking towards the man. "Would've nailed me right between the eyes too."

The crowd stumbled back as he advanced, looks of horrified anticipation across their faces. The man was too shocked to even move, only able to grunt in fear as the ninja advanced. Hayato stepped right up to him and stared him in the face. Sweat rolled down the man's face as he shook, his lips trembling in an effort to make some sort of noise, some excuse. Hayato waited a moment, then lifted his hand. The man flinched but was surprised to see Hayato hold out the kunai handle first. He glanced at him in surprise, then tentatively plucked it from his hand.

"But like I said," Hayato said softly, "there was no way you could have hurt me with that."

With that, he reached up and flicked the man's forehead.

The man flew back with the strike, soaring above the heads of the shocked crowd. He flew past the hotel entrance and hit the ground hard with a 'ooff.' He didn't get up.

The crowd turned to Hayato to stare at him with wide eyes and wider mouths. Hayato didn't notice as he turned and scooped up his pack. As he flung it over his shoulder and walked out of the ring, he muttered for only himself to hear, "And I meant that quite literally."

**So there you have it! I don't know when I'll have the next chapter up but hopefully it will be soon. Now that I actually have this on here I hope to be more motivated to continue this. Please feel free to comment critiques and criticisms; I'm always looking for ways to improve. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: At the River

**Well, that took a lot longer than anticipated. A heavy mixture of school and procrastination kept this shelved, but with summer starting I hope to be posting more regularly. Anyway, this is mostly a flashback chapter (sorry this story will have flashbacks) but don't worry, the action will be coming. **

The Land of Forests was, as its name implied, a heavily forested land full of valleys and plenty of wildlife. It had started from a small village that had discovered that the land's great supply of trees granted them the opportunity to sell lumber to the surrounding lands. Soon, they had become the biggest supplier of lumber to all of the surrounding countries, including the Land of Fire, and prospered greatly as a result. Unfortunately, as it so often happens with countries that gain power, they soon gained rivals, most prominently with the next-door neighbor the Land of Mountains. Each nation tried to gain status over the other through diplomatic power moves, trade deals, and land claims. Finally, diplomatic struggles turned to real conflict, embroiling the two countries in a bitter war. The war dragged on for ten years before peace was finally reached. In the end, there was no clear victor; rather, both nations could simply not go on raising swords against the other. Weariness of a war with no end in sight had disheartened both nations. No matter how their leaders cheered on their citizens with cries of patriotism and promises of honor, the words had eventually stuck in their throats. A dull weight had set upon them as they watched more and more of their people's sons, fathers, and brothers come back on stretchers, shields, or not at all, and they had decided that enough was enough.

Now, the land was experiencing peace for the first time in a long while, and the environment seemed to embrace it. Today was an especially good day: lazy white clouds drifted across a bright blue sky while birds flitted across it. Their songs cut through the air periodically in the green, rich forest stretching on either side of the road. A river ran parallel to the road on the left side several yards from the road. The day was beautiful and joyful.

A sharp contrast to how Hayato felt.

He walked along the road, emotions rumbling inside him. He still felt angry from the man's provocations and the people's judgmental stares from the morning. The whispers rang in his ears, terrified expectations of what he might do to them if he just happened to snap.

He knew he shouldn't let them get to him. He'd had to deal with these responses from people for long enough for it to be white noise to him. It still ate at him though; the glances, the whispers, the way people tensed up as passed.

Although, if he was honest, he couldn't blame people too much. Missing-nin weren't kicked out of their villages for minor reasons. Even though their strict rules and gung-ho principles may be broken by the softer ninjas who couldn't stomach their work or had doubts in their leadership, those shinobi were typically demoted, placed in a more myriad position, or simply fired. Shinobi were too valuable a resource to be discarded, they marked the strength of a village. The more shinobi that you had, the less of a chance another nation would invade you or get in the way of your political positions. Exiling too many of your shinobi also made for a poor public image. If you couldn't keep a handle on your ninja, countries and feudal lords wouldn't be willing to hire them for work. That's why nations would try to hush or clean up their shinobi's messes as much as they could. This meant that the shinobi that **did **get kicked out for their crimes were the worst of the worst. Except in the rarest of cases, missing-nin were murders, terrorists, and psychopaths to the highest degree. They excelled and glorified in violence, enjoying the fear that their names spread throughout the shinobi world. Many would continue to commit egregious acts of violence after they were exiled, and were only hired for the cruelest and dirtiest jobs: assassinations, extortion, torture, and other crimes were the nature of their work. Hayato knew the strength and cruelty many missing-nin possessed; he'd come across many of them himself.

That was why he tried so hard not to fight back against provocateurs and show a calm, cool demeanor. It wasn't just because of the pains of his past, but because he wanted people to trust him. He wanted them to not look at him as if he might snap their necks at a moment's notice or decide to turn on them for a profit. He wanted people to open themselves up and feel safe when they encountered him.

He gave the dirt a frustrated kick as he walked along the road. Normally he would be tree-hopping, the form of travel most shinobi used to get around in wooded areas. It was faster, but also took a physical tole. It required a fair amount of chakra to maintain a fast speed when traveling by tree-hopping, requiring shinobi to take breaks periodically to conserve energy for long travel. He had spent the morning dashing through the trees and at midday stopped for a quick lunch. He had eaten as he walked, trying to make ground even while restoring his chakra. He wanted to get to the capitol village quickly and make good on his promise to the feudal lord.

A laugh distracted him from his thoughts and diverted his attention to the river. Two children, boys roughly eleven and seven, possibly brothers, were playing in the riverbank. They were on the opposite bank, splashing each other and laughing their heads off. Judging from their wear, they were most likely children from a nearby farm.

Hayato paused to watch them play in the river. The younger one was the more enthusiastic of the two, digging into the water eagerly with both hands and flinging them upward to create walls of water at his brother. The older one was more direct in his approach, using one hand after the other to create continuous barrage of water. The younger brother pushed forward eagerly, then suddenly pitched forward and fell into the bank head first.

The older one stopped suddenly and dashed forward with a cry, probably calling his name. The younger brother got to his knees clutching his forehead. It wasn't clear, but it looked like his forehead was bleeding. His sobbing rolled across the riverbank as his brother knelt beside him. He managed to pry his brother's hands off and inspect the area. Yes, it was bleeding; the older brother had taken his headband off and was now wrapping it around his head. Satisfied with the impromptu bandaging, he held his brother and rubbed his back consoling him until his sobs slowly quieted. He separated themselves partially so he could look the other in the eye and appeared to ask him something. The younger brother gave an affirming nod, and the older put an arm under his elbow and hoisted him up. They pushed themselves up the bank and walked into the forest.

Hayato blinked and looked down at his feet. One of them was placed out and pointed in their direction, an instinctive step taken when the younger brother had fallen. He righted himself and looked back at the river. He found himself focused on the spot where the boys had played, watching the water roll over the stones at the bank. He let the gurgling and the whooshing of the water running wash over him, the bright and deep blues of the water shining…

* * *

"This isn't going to work Haru!"

"Trust me, this is going to work!" the spiky, black haired boy yelled back, focusing on the water with a rock his hands. "I've been practicing all night I tell ya!"

Hayato rolled his eyes at his friend's boast. Haru was a complete joker who would never spend a night practicing anything unless it was to concoct the perfect smoke bomb to use as a quick getaway from lessons with his dad. However, if he said he was up all night doing _this_, it would at least provide some entertainment.

"Can he really do it?" Yuuto wondered with wide eyes just barely visible under his great mop of hair. If his long hair wasn't signature enough, its bright blonde color made him stand out from most of the other dark-haired clan members.

Kanna huffed with her arms crossed, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder. She was the oldest of the group at 11 and, as such, was the most matter of fact. "Please. We just mastered standing on water, there's no way he can get a rock to float with chakra."

"Just watch," Haru bit his tongue in concentration. "I can totally do this! And you're gonna totally eat your words when I do this" He squatted down and closed his eyes. He held the rock clasped in his hands tightly for several seconds and then gingerly placed it on the water. It wobbled for a few moments on the surface, and then held on the surface. It stayed on the surface, still against the rocking of the light waves of the river.

Haru pumped his fist in triumph. "Ha! I told you all I could do it, I told you!" He looked at the group on the shore with a bright smile. "What do you have to say to that, Miss Priss?"

Hayato's eyes widened. Wow. He couldn't believe he actually pulled it off. Yuuto gave a cheer and looked between Hayato and Kanna excitedly. Kanna didn't even blink. Instead, she pulled a kunai from her weapon pouch and threw it in the water underneath the stone. There was a SNAP, and the stone dropped into the water with a plop.

Haru looked at her with a gaping mouth that tried to form comprehensive words. "Wha… how… but I… you did… how…?"

"You can't fool me Haru. I could tell you were just putting it on top of a stick." She rolled her eyes. "God, it's like you can never actually come up with something impressive."

"Hey! I do plenty of impressive things!"

Hayato chuckled softly. "Haru, setting the shrine's curtains on fire without anyone seeing you is not impressive."

"Yeah?" Haru stepped back onto the shore with a sour look. "Well why don't YOU try getting past a bunch of grumpy guards and tell me and isn't hard."

"Not the point, Yatsu-Haru."

"Shut up, Miss Priss!"

Yuuto gave a sigh of disappointment as the two began bickering again. "And I really wanted to see something really cool."

Hayato laughed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Cheer up Yuuto. Maybe we'll start learning some more ways we can use our clan jutsu this week."

Yuuto brightened at the prospect; he was always eager to learn new ninja techniques. His raw enthusiasm pushed him to be more excited for lessons than even the studious Kanna. "Yeah! I really hope we move onto something cool this week. What do you think it'll be?"

"Do you all expect to find out playing around here?"

All four kids spun quickly to see a woman standing behind them, arms folded across her chest. She wore a grey tactical vest over a fishnet style shirt with dark black pants. Her dark hair was cut short along her sharp jawline, and her dark eyes shown with a ferocity as she glared at the shocked children.

Kanna was the first to respond by snapping to attention and bending sharply into a formal bow. "Itsumi Sensei! We were just, um, practicing!" She glared out of the corners of her eyes at the boys, who quickly copied her greeting and straightened up in attention.

"Practicing?" Itsumi walked towards her students, planting each foot with deliberation as she stepped in front of Hanna. The girl began to sweat as Itsumi looked down her nose at her stiff form. "And what exactly were you practicing? You all didn't seem to be practicing anything when I showed up."

Hanna began to speak, but was cut off by Hayato. "Well to be fair, it's not like talking with each other is a crime. I mean, we DID spend all of today training so aren't we entitled to a little free time?" He turned his head to give his teacher a dry look.

The other students looked at Hayato out of the corners of their eyes in silent awe and shock. Out of the four students, he was considered to be the mild-mannered one, often quiet and slow to speak his mind. However, he was the only one who dared talk back to Itsumi Sensei in such a manner. Or any manner really.

Itsumi's eyes narrowed to a fine point, and she stepped in front of Hayato to turn her irritated glare directly at him. "Oh, are you? You believe yourself entitled to time wasted on pranks and prattling? You are Taikyu. You must live up to that legacy of strength and boldness."

Hayato shrugged, "Well, yes. But at the same time, isn't blowing off steam and relaxing good for us? I mean, being wired too tightly isn't good for a shinobi's health, right?"

Itsumi glared at him silently for a minute, then let out a sigh. "Very well. But this just means I'll have to work you harder tomorrow if you still have the energy to fool around afterwards."

"Does that mean we'll have to carry the log an extra mile tomorrow?" Haru whined

A glint shone in their sensei's eye as she surveyed the group. "No. I'll just have you carry it TWO more miles."

A collective groan rose from the group. Haru muttered a dark threat under his breath as he glared at Hayato. Hayato merely shrugged, not surprised by the outcome. He knew that some form of punishment was coming the minute she had arrived. The only question lay in what and how extensive. Fortunately, he knew exactly how to stem his sensei's desire for punishing her students.

Itsumi surveyed the group, "Alright! All of you head on home now. I expect you at the training field tomorrow morning precisely on time. No excuses!"

"Hai Sensei!" they all cried. Haru, Kann, and Youto all flashed away, heading back to the village proper.

Hayato, however looked at his sensei expectantly.

She gave him a curious look. "What?"

"Well, I figured we would head home together, right?"

She looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "Alright let's go. But for once I wish you would show me the same level of respect the rest of your training squad does." She turned and began walking back in the direction of the village.

Hayato jogged to catch up, matching pace with his master so she could catch his response. "I do respect you, I'm just not afraid of you like they are."

Itsumi gave him a bemused glanced as they walked along the path towards the village. "I don't know whether or not I should be insulted by that statement. Don't all children have a healthy fear of their mothers?"

Hayato shoved his hands his pockets and tilted his head to one side as he considered her question. "Well, yeah, but it's not like I'm not afraid of you," he said. "The others don't know what to say that won't make you mad though." He looked at his mom, making sure she understood the weight of his statement. "I just know you enough where I know what I can and can't say."

Istumi gave a small snort. "Apparently. 'Being wired too tightly isn't good for a shinobi's health.' Using your father's words against me again?"

"Well, he's the only one you listen to anyway, so I figured I'd use a little of his wisdom." Hayato said. He then added under his breath, "and trust me I was just as surprised to hear THAT come out of his mouth."

Itsumi glanced at her son and gave a soft sigh, "Hayato…"

Hayato raised his hand. "Look, I'm sorry ok? It's just, I really can't handle another 'you're a Taikyu, you are the inheritor of a great legacy, our clan is a clan of the strongest warriors' speech. It gets old after a-" Hayato stopped as he realized Istumi was no longer beside him. He turned and saw her several steps behind him.

Itsumi wore a strange look on her face, one that Hayato rarely saw her make. She wore a marked grimace that she made when she was angry, but her eyes were nearly closed and showed a sense of resignation. Hayato had only seen her make this face when his aunt had been killed in combat. He had never understood what it meant or why she made it.

Istumi looked at Hayato, her eyes locked dead with his. She said with a rough voice, "Don't take what your father and I tell you so lightly. It may end up being the death of you one day."

Hayato stood frozen. He didn't quite understand what his mother was saying, he could only tell that she was angry. That much was clear, but what confused him was that she didn't seem angry with _him_. She rarely took this tone with him as well. She usually sounded strict and formal in her statements, but this seemed a more deadly seriousness. Hayato knew his nonchalant behavior often annoyed his parents, but this was pure concern for his life.

He shifted uncomfortably, choosing his words carefully in his response. "It's not that I take what you guys say lightly. I admire you both a lot. I mean, you and dad are so highly respected by the village and the chief. It's just, well, I don't get why you guys are so tough on me. Or why everyone's so tough on everyone really."

Itsumi pursed her lips. "It's the way we are. Our jutsu may be what makes us feared, but it's our mental strength and fortitude that have made us the warriors we are." She walked up to him and laid an uncharacteristically gentle hand on his shoulder. "We both just want to see you grow up to be a strong warrior as well."

Hayato sighed, "I know, I know. I'll do better," he said sourly.

Itsumi hesitantly took her hand off her son's shoulder. She could tell that he was still disgruntled, but she knew that there was nothing she could do about it now. She had known she was going to push him when she got serious, but she had temporarily lost her composure. She just wanted him to realize… She sighed and put her annoyance aside. "Well, let's get going. We don't want to keep your father waiting."

Hayato groaned. "Oh joy. Can't wait to do some more training."

Itsumi reached out a finger and flicked him on the forehead. "Keep up that attitude and I'll have your team run the log for _three_ miles tomorrow. And I'll be sure to let them know exactly whose fault it is."

Hayato glared at his mother. "You really enjoy making me suffer, don't you?"

Itsumi cracked a rare grin at him. "Well of course. I'm your mother _and_ your sensei after all."

* * *

Hayato looked away from the river and glanced at the sky. The sun was starting to travel down, indicating that the afternoon had begun. He needed to get moving if he was going to make it to the Village of Forests by evening.

Before he headed to the trees, he cast one last look at the river. Its cheerfulness, the boys playing, they reminded him of a happier time in his life, even though he wouldn't have said soat the time. He felt nostalgia starting to bubble inside him, but he pushed it down almost immediately. No, he couldn't torture himself like that. He knew it sounded incredibly emo, but those emotions were meaningless now. He couldn't go back, he knew that. Any form of longing or regret would just hurt and keep him unfocused. His encounter that morning had reminded him of how far he had come from that time.

It wasn't just the negative things too. He needed to keep looking forward and try to find comfort in every day. It was hard in his situation but striving on was what kept him alive and hopeful for a better future. Sensei Saicho had instilled in him this ideology, and he needed to fulfill it.

Hayato walked up to a tree and leaped up onto a branch. He kicked off and sped down the tree line, rushing to the Village of Forests and his next job. Maybe this one would go well for him.

Like that ever happens.


End file.
